WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the CIA announced that it is extending buyout offers to employees who voluntarily resign, marking another step in President Donald Trump’s initiative to reform the federal government.
A spokesperson for the CIA did not provide specifics on how many employees received these offers or if there is a deadline for them to respond.
Approximately eight months of salary has been proposed by Trump’s Office of Personnel Management to millions of federal employees, incentivizing them to leave by a Thursday deadline. While initial exemptions applied to the CIA and other agencies involved in national security, these recent buyout offers hint that few departments will be untouched by the ongoing modifications.
Trump has frequently criticized the nation’s intelligence agencies, and his newly appointed CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, has indicated that substantial changes are on the horizon, asserting that the CIA has deviated from its original mission of human intelligence gathering.
The CIA articulated in a statement that these buyout offers are aimed at promptly aligning the workforce with the Administration’s national security objectives.
“These initiatives are part of a comprehensive strategy designed to invigorate the Agency, create opportunities for emerging leaders, and enhance the CIA’s capacity to fulfill its mission,” the agency remarked about the buyout offers, which were initially disclosed by The Wall Street Journal.
Since taking office last month, Trump has made significant moves to overhaul various federal agencies, particularly targeting the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has seen considerable restructuring under Trump’s direction and the involvement of billionaire Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency.
Experts in national security have raised alarms that significant budget cuts to the CIA and other agencies could jeopardize lives by impairing their operational effectiveness or decreasing intelligence sharing with allies. Virginia Senator Mark Warner, who is the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has advised CIA employees to carefully evaluate the buyout offer.
“Very few agencies are as critical to our national security as the CIA,” Warner remarked in a statement. “Many federal employees, including some at the CIA, are my constituents, and I feel compelled to warn them that these ‘buyouts’ may not be as beneficial as they seem, as Congress hasn’t allocated any funds for this initiative. It would be unfortunate for individuals to resign only to face unfulfilled promises, similar to the situation that contractors experienced with President Trump’s construction projects.”
While the exact number remains classified, the CIA employs thousands in roles dedicated to the collection and analysis of international intelligence, both at its Virginia headquarters and in stations abroad.
During a Senate Intelligence Committee meeting in January, Ratcliffe emphasized the agency’s need to better leverage advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing while also increasing its reliance on human intelligence methods.
“We’re not operating at the level we should be,” Ratcliffe remarked during discussions surrounding his nomination.
